


1917 oneshots

by 1917_and_feelings



Category: 1917 (Movie 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Fluff and Smut, M/M, One Shot Collection, just read the summary before each chapter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:15:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23718829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1917_and_feelings/pseuds/1917_and_feelings
Summary: Exactly what the title says, I literally cannot summarize it any further.
Relationships: Joseph Blake/Lieutenant Leslie, Joseph Blake/William Schofield, Soldat Baumer/William Schofield, Tom Blake/William Schofield
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	1. NOTE

Okay, before we get on with the fics quick note, feel free to leave requests! Just let me know the ship, and other details! And I’ll be sure to get to it! Thank you!


	2. The Journal (Joseph/Will)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While unpacking their stuff in their new house, Joseph finds the journal Will kept during the Somme. (Minor angst, but mostly fluff)

Will and Joe sat in their new house, slowly unpacking their stuff. It's 1921 and after a few years of the war being over they finally managed to save up the money to get their own place. 

It wasn't anything fancy. It was a lot like the house Joe had grown up in. But it was perfect to them. Close enough to the lake to take a nice walk together. Plenty of space to garden. A nice kitchen for Will to test his baking and cooking skills. Two bedrooms, one for them and another for guests. And even a fireplace. Their cat, Mollie, pranced by and curled up in one of the empty boxes. 

Joe chuckled and Will smiled at her. 

Joe hummed, "Well, at least somebody likes these boxes." 

"Agreed." 

Will pecked him on the cheek then got up to place some books on their bookshelf. Joe was still going through another box, music playing a waltz in the background. 

"What's this?" He heard Joe ask. 

Will spun around and looked at the object Joe was holding up. His breath caught in his throat once he realized what it was. 

"My journal...from...from the Somme." 

Joe's eyes widened, "Oh. Where do you want me to put it? Or do you want to get rid of it?" 

Will was tempted to get rid of it, but knew Joe would be upset with him. Not that Joe wanted him to be plagued by bad memories, but felt it was a good thing to keep around. "For future generations." He'd say. 

"Hand it to me, I'll put it up here." 

Joe nodded and handed it to him, giving him a kind smile. Will returned it and placed it on the shelf, besides a few other journals of theirs. 

Joe hummed, "I thought you said you couldn't remember the Somme? Is that true, or do you just not like talking about it." 

"A bit of both, love," Will sighed, grabbing more books, "I wrote it down in an effort to forget. Thinking that maybe once it was out, it would go away. It's far from the truth though, I'm sure you can tell." 

Joe fixed him with an unreadable gaze, "I have noticed. Around that time of year you're incredibly anxious...it scares me sometimes. You get this far off look, like you're back there. Reliving it." 

Will frowned, feeling bad that he upset Joe. He moved and kissed Joe's cheek, "Sorry, love." 

"What are you apologizing for? You can't control it. None of us can. But who knows, maybe if you talked about it, you would come to terms with it. Just a theory though." 

Will had to admit, it did make sense. He was just never that good at talking about things. Raised in a family that preached to him about how boys weren't supposed to show how they felt or talk about what upset them. 

Joe was raised the opposite way. It was okay for him to show his emotions. Tom was the same way. Will's chest tightened at the thought of his past lover. He quickly busied himself with the books again. Placing them in the shelf in alphabetical order. 

Will said, "You know I'm not good with recalling that kind of thing." 

"Then maybe read the journal, it's entirely up to you. I hate seeing you so upset about it." 

Will could hear the hurt in Joe's voice. 

Will took a deep breath, "Could we read it together? I don't think I could do it alone..." 

Joe smiled empathetically, "Of course babe." 

Will smiled as well, forever grateful for the angel that is Joseph Blake. 

As the day went on Will gradually forgot about the daunting task that awaited him. Too busy getting their new house straightened out. Joe, however, did not. He kept casting glances at the bookshelf, eyes always landing on the journal. He wondered what secrets were in it. He knew Will tended to be brutally honest about the war, so he wanted a peak inside. See things from Will's point of view, not the press' not the government's, not the King's . But Will's. Always honest, always trustworthy, Will. 

As the night winded down, and the sky turned dark, Will for the fireplace going and turned on some of the kerosene lamps. 

"Say," Will said, "When do you think we'll be getting some of that electricity Americans keep going on about? Would be nice." 

Joe chuckled, "Oh, you know how they are. When they invent something they intend to keep it to themselves. When somebody else does they try to make it theirs." 

Will laughed as well. Joe got up from the couch and went to the bookshelf and grabbed the journal. 

He handed it to Will and Will pulled a face. 

Joe said, "At one point or another you're going to have to confront this. You realize that right?" 

Will nodded. 

"Now, or later?" 

"Now." 

Joe smiled, proud of Will.

Will said, "Let me just get a glass of wine first." 

Joe chuckled and nodded. Will went to the kitchen and got himself some wine before making his way back to the living room, Joe was already on the couch. 

Will sat next to him and pulled him into his lap before grabbing the journal. He took a long sip of the alcohol before setting the-now empty- glass down.

He opened the journal with shaky hands and Joe started playing with his hair in an attempt to soothe him. Will went to speak but found he had lost the use of his voice. 

"You alright babe?" 

Will stuttered, "C-can we just...go to bed?" 

Joe frowned, feeling bad for having pushed Will, "Of course babe. I'm sorry." 

"It's not your fault love. I'm just...stubborn I guess."

They went and got ready for bed. Once they got settled under the covers Joe pulled Will closer to him. 

"It was hell..." mumbled Will.

“Hmm?” 

“The Somme,” said Will, “it was hell on earth. Constant bombardement of artillery. Men dying all the time. Rotting and decaying bodies all through the trench. Men dying slowly and nothing could be done cause no medical team could get out there. All of them begging for mercy, or for their mothers. I shut down...” 

As Will kept talking the details became more grotesque and disturbing, but Joe didn’t stop him. This was a major breakthrough for the both of them, so he just let Will say what he needed to say. 

He played slowly with Will’s hair, and listened intently, but didn’t speak. It wasn’t his place to do so. But he made it clear to Will that was was, in fact, listening. 

Once Will finished he looked relieved, more relaxed than he ever had been. 

Joe smiled, “You did so well, I’m so proud of you!” 

Will gave a nervous smile and hid his face into Joe’s chest. 

Will said, “One thing I’ll never be able to forget about the Somme though, is the smell. It was unlike anything else I have dealt with.” 

“Don’t doubt it...war tends not to smell very good, now does it?” 

Will shook his head, “Blood, rot, and other fun smells. That’s why sometimes if I have a nightmare or particularly bad flashback I’ll kind of...well you know.” 

“Put your face in the crook of my neck?” 

“Yeah.” 

Joe smiled, “I think it’s pretty cute.” 

Will blushed and kissed Joe’s chest sweetly. Will drifted off, clinging to Joe. Joe smiled and continued playing with his hair to help him.


	3. Learn to Trust (Baumer x Will)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two years after the war Will stumbles upon a familiar face in the streets of London.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quite a bit of angst, but it ends happily. Lots of fluff as well. (Minor TW: mentions of guilt, attempted murder, homelessness, violence, death, and war)

Will tossed a few coins into the homeless man's hat, and kept walking. But halfway down the street he froze, there was a sense of familiarity that man had and something in his head urged him to go back. So, he turned around and headed back towards the man. 

When he got there he felt as if he had been shot once he realized who it was. The blond hair, big brown eyes. It would've been hard to miss. 

"Baumer?" Will asked, managing to remember his name. 

It's hard to forget the name and face of a man you attempted to strangle. The man looked up and fear filled his eyes and he pushed himself up against the wall behind him. 

"It's okay," Will assured, "I'm not going to hurt you. Do you need help?" 

Baumer just looked at him, confused. Will mentally face palmed, he doesn't speak very much English. 

Will put his hands up in a surrender position, showing Baumer he was safe and used his best German, "du bist sicher" (you are safe) 

Baumer kept watching his every move, and it made a deep sense of guilt rise in Will. 

"brauchst du Hilfe?" (Do you need help) 

Baumer kept looking at him apprehensively. 

Will pointed to himself and slowly spoke, "I. Can. Help. You." 

He regretted not paying more attention in his German class as Baumer stared at him in confusion. 

Will thought carefully, "ich kann Ihnen helfen" (I can help you) 

Recognition crossed Baumer's face, but he still looked terrified. 

Baumer shakily asked, "Won't hurt?" 

"I will not hurt you. You are safe." 

Will reached a hand out and frowned when Baumer flinched. A few seconds later though Baumer accepted it and Will lifted him up. 

They walked to Will's flat, and Will had millions of questions for Baumer. How did he end up in England? How did he end up homeless? How did he survive his wounds? When did he end up here? Did he ever go back to Germany, or did he just come and stay in England? 

They got to Will's place and went inside. Will noticed Baumer was still in his dirty, bloody, raggedy uniform and frowned. 

He pointed at his own shirt, "Let's get you some clean clothes." 

Baumer seemed to understand. They walked to Will's room and Baumer lingered in the door way. Will gestured for him to join him, "It's okay. You can come in." 

Baumer slowly walked in. Eyes wide and cautious. 

Will opened his dresser and pulled out some of his older, smaller clothes. Baumer was a bit shorter and skinnier than he was, so he figured those would be the best fit. 

He pulled out a white button up, some slacks, socks, suspenders, and grabbed a pair of shoes. Then he also grabbed him some pajamas. He handed them to Baumer. Baumer mumbled a soft 'thank you'. 

"These are my older clothes. They'll fit you better. We'll get you some new ones tomorrow. Would you like to take a bath? Get clean?" 

Baumer furrowed his brows in confusion. 

Will grabbed his old German to English dictionary. 

"müssen ein Bad nehmen?" (Need to take a bath?) 

Baumer nodded. Will led him to the bathroom, and showed him where all the toiletries were, how things worked, and gave him two fresh towels and a washcloth. After explaining he would be in the living room he left Baumer to his own devices. 

As Baumer bathed Will went through the dictionary he had, trying to relearn the basics. As he did so he realized a few things, he hadn't even asked Baumer's first name, nor how he ended up in England, and why he trusted Will so much. 

Will walked to the guest room and got everything situated for him. He fathered a few other old clothes of his and hung them up in the closet, he put the few books he had in German in the room as well. Then placed the small bag of belongings Baumer had with him on the bed, not looking through it out of politeness. 

He frowned as he realized it still wasn't quite as lively as he felt Baumer deserved. He placed two plants in there from the living room, and a painting. 

He went back to the living room and got some tea ready for them before sitting down with the newspaper. 

Soon Baumer walked into the room, clutching his tattered uniform, while dressed in the pajamas. The pants were a bit too big on him and Will had to take a deep breath to undo the tightness in his chest. 

Will sat the paper aside and got up. He made a 'follow me' motion and started heading to the guest room. He glanced behind him a few times to make sure that Baumer was following him. They got there and went in. 

Will spoke in slow German, "Hier wirst du schlafen." (This is where you will sleep.) 

Baumer nodded in understanding. He sat his uniform on the bed. Will explained the best he could where things in his new room were, that his room was across the hall if he ever needed anything, and that he was free to anything in the kitchen and living room. 

They went to the living room together and had tea. Baumer scribbling away in a journal. 

Will asked, "Wie heißen Sie?" (What's your name?) 

"Friedrich. Friedrich Baumer. Wie heißen Sie?"

"Will Schofield." 

Friedrich sat for a moment, "Will...Will Schofield." He said, as if testing it out. 

He nodded approvingly then went back to his writing. Will picked the paper back up then started reading it again. They spent the rest of the evening in a content silence, listening to people mingling about on the street below them. The occasional automobile, train, or airplane making its presence known. 

As they said goodnight to each other Will couldn't help but notice how much lighter Friedrich looked. There was life in his eyes, and a flush on his cheeks. Will longed to see more of it.  
////////////  
Will was woken up in the middle of the night by someone shaking him. He turned on the lamp and looked to see Friedrich standing there. Trembling, tears streaming down his face, sweating. 

Will asked, "Albtraum?" (Nightmare?) 

Friedrich nodded. Will's chest ached in sadness, not wanting the poor boy to be hurt anymore than he had been. Will moved over and gestured for him to lay down next to him. 

Friedrich slowly got under the covers. They laid back to back, comforted by each other's presence. Will slowly drifted off and he could've sworn he'd heard Friedrich whisper, "ich liebe dich." (I love you)  
///////////////  
Will was the first to wake up, and he quickly noticed how the two were positioned. In their sleep they managed to move so they were facing each other, and were now cuddling. Will blushed and went to move himself only for Friedrich to hold him tighter. He blushed even more, but decided to let it be. 

He listened as rain steadily hit the window, the sky a soft grey. Friedrich's bright blond hair was messy, and his lips were slightly parted. Those lips...oh how Will ached to kiss them. They looked incredibly soft and were a plush baby pink. 

Friedrich moved again and buried his face in Will's chest. Will sucked in a breath, taken by just how adorable he was. 

Who knows how long it had been since Friedrich has had any comfort? So it was no wonder that he was soaking it up. And Will was more than glad to give it to him. He let Friedrich cuddle him, deciding he must've needed it. 

Will considered himself a fool for falling in love so easily. Especially with someone he had attempted to kill. The thought sent a shiver down his spine. He hadn't meant it, he only was trying to get his job done. And Friedrich had compromised it. He held him a little tighter, the guilt making his stomach churn. 

Then this raised another question. Why was Friedrich so quick to trust him? It was clear he new who he was. Will could see it in the way he watched his hands and wouldn't let him near his throat. Perhaps he was so desperate he was willing to push it aside? Perhaps he did truly forget who Will was, but was still gun shy about people's hands. Although Will finds that unlikely, he doubts Friedrich could forget the face of the man who nearly killed him. 

Maybe Friedrich had managed to defect, he could tell that night in Écoust that he was preparing to defect. It's always easy to tell. It would explain why he was in England. If he'd managed to defect he probably would've been too shameful to return to Germany, and knew he would get in trouble. So it was probably better for his loved ones to assume he had died. Rather than live with the shame that their son had run off. 

This brought on a few new questions. Did he have loved ones? A mother? A father? Siblings? Was he an uncle? Did he have a lover? Did he maybe even have a wife and kids of his own? 

Will shook his head at the last one, he never did see a ring on his finger, and he was far too young to have already gotten married and had kids. 

Were his loved ones waiting for their son only to believe he had died? One of the unidentifiable or unaccounted for dead? Did they think he was one of the "unknown soldiers" that had been tossed into an unmarked grave that read 'known only to god'? 

What if he did have a lover, a girlfriend perhaps even a boyfriend? Were they assuming they would never see him again? That the time they had spent together was all the time they had? Were they aching for Friedrich's kisses in the way Will was? Were they longing to hold Friedrich in the way Will was? 

Will hadn't realized he was crying until Friedrich had woken up and looked at him with worry in his eyes. 

"No cry." Friedrich whispered as he wiped away Will's tears. His English slow and unpracticed, thick with his German accent. 

Will just smiled a little and thanked Friedrich. They untangled themselves from each other and Will sat up, stretching. He slowly explained the best he could to Friedrich that he was gonna make them breakfast, get ready, and go shopping for some stuff for him. 

As Will cooked Friedrich got ready for the day. He came to the kitchen dressed in an outfit he had been provided with. White button up, suspenders, and tan slacks. Will's heart skipped a beat when he saw him. His hair was also neatly combed and he smelt like clean linen. 

Will smiled approvingly at him, Friedrich smiled back. As Will finished cooking Friedrich wrote in his journal. Will couldn't help but wonder what he was writing about, but it wasn't his business. Will served them their food and they made small talk as they ate. Will explained that prior to the war he had been in university and was studying to be an artist and poet. And that he had also been learning German. 

Friedrich said he was planning on going to university for psychology and philosophy. Will was tempted to ask about his life in Germany, but told himself that if Friedrich wanted to, he'd bring it up on his own. Then Friedrich asked him something he wasn't expecting. 

"Teach me English?"

Will cocked an eyebrow, "Want me to teach you English?" 

Friedrich nodded. 

Will smiled and nodded, "I can do that. We can pick up some books for you while we're out." 

Friedrich smiled. They finished eating and Will got ready quickly. Once done they headed outside, huddled under the same umbrella. Friedrich was considerably shorter than Will, so Will held it to make it easier on them both. Friedrich had also put on one of Will's old coats and a scarf. 

Their outing was simple and without any incidents. Even though it's two years removed from the war, a good chunk of Englanders are still hostile against Germans. It makes Will wonder just how Friedrich survived this long, and what he might've had to do to survive. 

They got back to their flat just as noon was approaching. They returned with some new clothes for Friedrich, some English books for him, some groceries, and a few other odds and ends for him. They got his stuff put away and organized. 

Will was slightly taken back when Friedrich hugged him in thanks, but he didn't hesitate to hug back. He felt just how tiny he was through the clothes and Will's stomach dropped a little. He had no reason to be that tiny, and if Will had plans to fatten him up a little. When they pulled apart Friedrich still had this dreamy look on his face. 

Friedrich grabbed one of the beginner English books and held it up. 

Will asked, "das zuerst?" (That one first?) 

Friedrich nodded. 

"Alright. Let me grab a journal and pen." 

Will went to his room to grab a clean journal and a pen before heading to the kitchen. He froze when he saw Friedrich standing in the hall, looking at something on the wall. He slowly approached him to find him looking at an old family photo of Will's, shortly before he'd left for university. If felt like an eternity ago, and in someways it was. Will was a completely different man now, a far cry from the young boy in the picture. Eyes full of life, color on his cheeks, a smile on his face. 

"das du?" (That you?) 

"Yeah." 

Will pointed to the older woman in the photo, standing behind him to the left, "That's my mother. Mutter," he pointed to the man behind him, "That's my father. Vater," he pointed to the young woman on his left, "That's my sister.  
Schwester." Then he pointed to himself, "And that's me. mir." 

Friedrich smiled at the picture then at Will and slowly spoke, "Mother?" pointing to Will's mom. 

Will nodded, smiling at him. 

"Fadder?" 

"Fa-TH-er." Will corrected. 

"Father?" 

"Yes! Good!" 

Friedrich smiled, obviously proud of himself. 

"Seester?" 

Will shook his head, "S-I-ster. S-I-ster." 

"Sister?" 

Will nodded enthusiastically, "Yes!" 

Friedrich then pointed to Will, "You?" 

"Mm-hm! Very good Friedrich!" 

Friedrich smiled even more and they walked to the table in the kitchen. Will made them some tea and snagged a bar of chocolate for the both of them. Once the tea was ready he sat at the table next to Friedrich. 

Then they got to work teaching Friedrich the basics. The alphabet. Simple two, three letters words. Pronunciations. Spelling. And grammar.

Will finished writing a few notes down when he turned to look at Friedrich, only to find him already looking at him, their noses brushed and Will's breath caught in his throat. 

Will could clearly see the need in Friedrirch's eyes, and he was sure his eyes mirrored his. Will knew what was about to happen, and felt a little ashamed of himself. They'd only gotten to know each other yesterday, and the first time they ever met was a fight almost to death. But they both needed it. They needed the love, warmth, comfort. They'd both been so incredibly deprived of it, especially during the war. 

Will came crashing back to reality as Friedrich pressed his lips against his. Friedrich was a sloppy and unpracticed kisser, but Will couldn't bring himself to care. Enamored by his enthusiasm. He slowly placed a hand on the back of his head, steadying him and guiding him through the kiss. Friedrich let it happen, eager to please Will. 

Friedrich's lips were way better than Will had imagined. They were soft and tasted like the chocolate they had just eaten. He felt like he was in heaven. Friedrich would occasionally slip up and nip at Will's lips too hard or use a bit too much tongue. But will found it endearing and didn't complain.

Once they broke apart Friedrich was panting slightly and had a dark red blush coating his cheeks. He smiled at Will and giggled a little. Will smiled back and pulled the younger man onto his lap. 

Friedrich mumbled, "Ich habe nicht aufgehört an dich zu denken." (I haven't stopped thinking about you.) 

"No?" 

Friedrich shook his head, "wollte sich entschuldigen und wieder gut machen." (Wanted to apologize and make amends) 

Will smiled sweetly at him. Head over heels for the smaller man. 

Will whispered, "I'm also sorry for what I did to you." 

Friedrich knew what he was saying, "Hätten wir uns zu einem anderen Zeitpunkt getroffen, hätte ich mich, glaube ich, schon viel früher verliebt." (If we had met any other time I think I would have fallen in love a lot sooner.) 

Will nodded in agreement and tugged Friedrich closer to him, wanting to feel his lithe body closer to his own. 

Will hummed, "I agree." 

"Nap?" Friedrich asked. 

"Want to take a nap?" 

"Yes." 

Will smiled again, "We can do that." 

Will stood up, still holding Friedrich, and carried him to his bedroom. Will wasn't tired but he wasn't about to pass up a chance to cuddle with him. Will carefully placed Friedrich out of his grip so he was standing. They stripped to their undergarments before getting in bed together. 

As they laid there, looking at each other Will noticed the array of scars on Friedrich's body. His gut twisted and he frowned. There was one scar on his shoulder that was obviously from a bullet, and another one on his bicep that was from a bullet. Others were obviously fragments from bombs, shells, and other explosives. Some were from were gas had eaten away at his skin. Others were from knives or bayonets. 

Will reached up and carefully caressed Friedrich's cheek. He smiled and slid closer to him. Friedrich noticed the scar on Will's palm and frowned. He grabbed Will's hand and gently kissed the palm. Will smiled as Friedrich's lips worked over the scar. He then laced their fingers together. 

Will found it incredibly endearing and kissed Friedrich's hand. He looked into his soft brown eyes, filled with happiness and love. He'll never forget the first time he looked into them. When they were wide and filled with fear. Then as he watched the consciousness slip from him. 

He tended at the though and pulled him even closer, wanting to feel his warmth. Feel that he was in fact alive, and was next to him. He threaded his fingers through his soft hair, watching as Friedrich's eyes fluttered shut. 

Will quietly asked, “Warum vertrauen Sie mir?” (Why do you trust me?)

He was thrilled that his German was coming back to him. Making conversation easier. 

Friedrich whispered, “Dies ist kein Krieg mehr, wir können jetzt in Frieden miteinander leben.” (This isn’t a war anymore we can be at peace with each other now) 

Will smiled and placed a kiss to his forehead. He moved so he was laying on his back and Friedrich shifted so his head was on his chest. The older man smiled and wrapped his arms around him, Friedrich doing the same. 

Friedrich listened to Will’s steady and strong heartbeat. Being soothed by it. Smiling as Will continued to play with his hair. He yawned and closed his eyes again. He dozed off and slept soundly cradled against Will’s chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also excuse the fuck out of my German, I am really out of practice with it. 😬😬


	4. First meeting (Leslie x Joe) //modern college AU//

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joe asked, “Can you tell me where the psychology books are, please?” 
> 
> The boy looked up, “Not a hello?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No warnings for this one except maybe just some alcohol use.

Joe walked into the library, slightly flustered as he had only one more day to study for his psychology final, and he was seriously behind. He walked up to the help desk to find a boy sitting behind it. He couldn’t have been much older than himself. 

Joe asked, “Can you tell me where the psychology books are, please?” 

The boy looked up, “Not a hello?” 

Joe fought the urge to roll his eyes, and tapped his foot impatiently, “I at least said please. But if it makes you feel better, hi.” 

“Hi. Now what was it you were asking me about?” 

Joe groaned and ran a hand through his hair, he glanced at the students name tag. ‘Ellis Leslie’ it read. 

“Psychology books. I need some to study for my final.” 

Ellis looked him up and down, amusement on his face, “You’re definitely one of the more interesting characters I’ve seen come through here. Say, what’s your name?” 

Joe stared at Ellis, dumbfounded. Could this kid not see just how distressed he was? Or did he find this to be a game? 

Joe said, “Joseph. Joseph Blake.” 

Ellis hummed, “Interesting. Psychology, you said?” 

Joe nodded, “Yeah. Psychology.” 

Ellis stood up and grabbed a small stack of books, “I was just about to go there. Just come with me.” 

Joe inwardly screamed. He just wanted to get far away from Ellis as possible. Sure he was rather handsome, and had the type of snark that Joe loved. But god, was he annoying. 

He plastered on a cheesy smile, “Fantastic.” 

They started walking together and with each word Ellis said, Joe found himself liking him more and more. This is exactly what he feared, falling for some dipshit who is probably hungover more often than not. 

They climbed a flight of stairs then walked down an aisle of books. 

“Here you are.” Ellis said. 

He placed the books back in their respective spots as Joe unpacked his stuff. 

“Thanks.” 

Ellis turned to him, “I believe you owe me a favor.” 

Joe cocked an eyebrow at him, “Oh?” 

“Mm-hm.” 

“What do you want from me?” Joe asked as he reached for his wallet. 

Ellis shook his head, “Not money. Perhaps a kiss on the cheek and your number?” 

“Seriously?” 

Ellis shrugged, “Just following the rules.” 

“Do you do this to everybody?” Joe questioned as he wrote down his number. 

He wasn’t sure why he was doing what the boy said, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself either. It was like he had a spell put on him. 

Ellis shook his head, “Nope. Just you.” 

Joe rolled his eyes and fought a smile as he finished writing the number down. He folded the slip up and handed it to Ellis. 

Ellis smiled proudly, “Thanks. But you’re forgetting something.” 

“Huh? Oh!” 

Joe leaned in and pecked him on the cheek. Something about it felt right. He quickly pulled away and noticed the slight flush on Ellis’ cheeks. He was sure from the heat in his face that he looked the same way. 

Ellis said, “Anyways...have fun suffering.” 

And with that, he sauntered off. Joe took a deep breath to calm himself and sat down, getting to work. 

As he worked he found his thoughts always going back to Ellis. His dark, depthless, hypnotic eyes. The smirk that seemed stuck on his face. His wild black hair that stood in ever direction. 

He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to get his mind back on track. Around ten at night his phone buzzed, a welcome distraction from the monotonous textbook. 

He looked at the notification:

Unknown number: It’s Ellis, want me to get you some coffee?

Joe was pleasantly surprised by the message. 

Joe: you don’t have to

Ellis: too bad, I’m getting you one anyways. how do you take it? 

Joe: Ellis at least let me pay you back? 

Ellis: no. black? or with cream and sugar? 

Joe: black 

Joe put his phone down and got back to work, listening as a few other students mingled about in the library. The library was opened 24 hours so there were always at least ten students in there at any given time. Which Joe didn’t mind, he liked the noise. 

Soon he felt a presence near him and Ellis was standing next to him, holding two cups. Joe smiled tiredly at him. 

“Thanks Ellis...what time even is it?” 

Ellis sat down and shrugged, “Late enough.” 

Ellis took the lid off his own cup and pulled out a small flask from his coat pocket. Joe watched in mild concern as he poured liquor into his coffee. 

Joe asked, “Are you alright?” 

“Me? Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Why do you ask?” 

Joe pursed his lips, “It’s one in the morning and you dumped an entire flask of liquor into a cup of coffee. Do we need to talk?” 

Ellis shook his head and took a long sip. 

Joe went back to his work and for the next few hours they sat in a companionable silence. Ellis messes around on his phone as Joe scribbled down notes. 

Just as dawn was approaching Joe finally closed the books and put them back on the shelves. Then placed his own belongings back in the bag. Ellis sat up and yawned, stretching as well. 

Joe sighed, “You honestly didn’t have to stay with me all night. I would’ve been fine if you had left.” 

“Bold of you to assume you can get rid of me that easily.” 

Joe laughed tiredly. 

“Besides,” Ellis continued, “I don’t have any classes today. So it doesn’t really matter to me.” 

“Honestly though, thank you so much. I really owe you one.” 

Ellis smiled, “How about a date?” 

Joe couldn’t help but adore Ellis’ confidence. 

“Sure. Why not.” 

Ellis smiled proudly, “Six o’clock tomorrow? I’ll pick you up.” 

Joe blushed, “Sure.” 

They walked out of the library together, and into the damp, chilly, morning air. The sky was just starting to lighten and birds were waking up. But other than that, all was silent. 

Ellis asked, “When is your final?” 

“In two hours.” 

“Yikes. Good luck with that.” 

Joe chuckled, “Thanks I’m gonna need it.” 

They then went their separate ways and Joe couldn’t seem to stop smiling after that.


End file.
